349 inmates released after Massachusetts uses faked evidence

Boston
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Annie Dookhan falsified documents and lab results which were used as evidence in more than 300 convictions. Those prisoners have been released, and Dookhan was convicted on a 27-count indictment.

Dookhan certified that results were favorable to the prosecution, without ever running the necessary tests. She forged signatures, tampered with evidence, and even lied about her credentials in order to further her career. The lab she worked in recently fired another chemist, Kate Corbett, who also lied about her qualifications to obtain employment. It is unknown whether cases that she worked on will also be overturned.

Suspicions arose in 2010, when it was noticed she was obtaining results three times faster than other employees. She was caught forging a signature in 2011, and it wasn’t until 2012 that she admitted mishandling evidence.

Dookhan was sentenced to three to five years in prison followed by two years probation. Some have called the sentence too light given the number of potentially innocent people that lost their freedom due to the government employee’s actions. It should be noted that the judge went above the maximum three year sentence outlined by the sentencing guidelines.

Innocent persons were incarcerated, guilty persons have been released to further endanger the public, millions and millions of public dollars are being expended to deal with the chaos Ms Dookhan created, and the integrity of the criminal justice system has been shaken to the core.

So far 349 prisoners have been released, and more are expected to gain their freedom in light of Dookhan’s conviction.